


A Scrawny Motherfucker and The Boy Who Loves Him

by DellaC626



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bisexual Mike Wheeler, F/M, Gay Will Byers, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Pansexual Eleven | Jane Hopper, pleasebekind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 04:23:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20221750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DellaC626/pseuds/DellaC626
Summary: A Modern Byler/Byeler AU(Clara is an OC, please be kind to her.) Special thanks to JWMelmoth who helped me edit this crazy mess, you are a life saver and the best bean!High school is hard, it's even harder when you're a high school cliche. Will is incredibly gay, and hopelessly in love with his best friend, Mike. Mike is a recently out and proud bisexual, equally in love with Will. Things are kind of a mess and neither of them have the courage to fix it.A fiery redhead, a tiny, fierce blonde and a kind-hearted dork might be just the push they need to end up where they're meant to be.Together.





	A Scrawny Motherfucker and The Boy Who Loves Him

Will walked along at a sedate pace, headphones firmly planted on his head. (He would be worried about his hair, but he fell asleep at his art station so it was practically a rat’s nest anyways. Though it paled in comparison to Mike’s almost aggressive hoard of curls, he’d left them wild and free this year, and used to get Nancy to straighten them.) 

Mike’s charming laugh rang through the hall as if on cue. 

He always seemed to be talking to someone, despite how unpopular they were in middle school. Mike had a way of drawing people in with his wit and his utterly adorable grin. (Will called bullshit, no one could be _ that _ cute. It had to be sorcery!) Not that Will could really say anything... He’d been in love with his best friend since they were twelve, if not before then. Sorcery indeed. 

Michael Wheeler was just something _ special _.

Dustin and Lucas said the same thing, but Will knew they meant it a different way. In fact, they frequently referred to Mike as a “scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle”. When Will had asked why, Dustin had simply rolled his eyes and sent him a link to a song by an artist called Wallows. Will had nearly died laughing the next time they’d described Mike that way. Which was unfortunate, as he already had a hard time keeping it together around Mike as it was. 

It was ridiculous how flustered his best friend made him. He didn’t even have to do anything. Just being Mike was enough to make Will’s heart race. Those dark curls that bounced along when he was excited. The high cheek bones that Will spent countless hours sketching, (they needed to be perfect.) Their height difference and the way he would always use Will as an armrest. Their friends constantly made jokes about it-Will would act offended but really, he relished having Mike that close to him. 

But lately, that had changed. It almost seemed like Mike was avoiding him.

It wasn’t the first time. Will could remember a time when Mike kept his distance to him. Mike had been dating Will’s step-sister, El. (Short for Eleonore Jane.) It hadn’t worked very well, and they’d broken up in their last year of middle school. Mike had been so love-struck that Will assumed that was why he avoided the both of them for a while after that. Will loved El, after all, and they were very close.

Then, El came out as pansexual, Mike came out as bi, and they both cited their intentions to explore their sexualites. El took to practising her flirting skills on both Max _ and _ Dustin, much to Lucas’s distaste, as he felt a little left out. Watching him react to her outrageous attempts at flirting was kind of hilarious. Most of it was Steve’s fault.

After she came out, she asked Dustin if Steve would be willing to teach her some _ “moves” _. At first Dustin was a bit offended that she wasn’t asking him. It had all worked out, and in the end, Steve was more than willing to help. Unfortunately, Steve’s idea of helping was to teach El all of his favourite pickup lines. He insisted that they all “worked like a charm”. 

With El concentrating on girls for a while, it did mean Mike actively joined their group of friends again. Having Mike around so often again had been both a blessing and a curse. Mike was Will’s best friend, and he loved having him around, but it made it that much harder to keep his feelings in check. Adding in the fact that Mike was out and proudly _ not straight _, gave Will an unfair burst of hope. (At least Mike hadn’t joined El in her quest to use all of the terrible pick up lines Steve taught her. Will didn’t think he could have handled that.)

-

Some of El’s favourite lines were so cringy they made everyone crack up. She was always so deadpan when she used them. The difference between Steve and El was that she had a knack for making the cheesy lines work. 

“Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only _ ten _ I see!” was met with an exaggerated eye roll and loud cackling. 

Some of the lines were especially cheesy.

“Did it hurt when you fell from the vending machine? Cause you a snack!” brought everyone to tears from laughing so hard. 

There were a few memorable lines that actually worked. But nothing could top the time El had walked up to a random girl in the hallway at school. She had sauntered over to the petite blonde, running ran a hand through her hair (They later found out that the poor girls name was Clara.) and leaned on her locker like she’d seen one of the football players do. Clara had looked startled until El spoke. The progression of her expression had been extreme, face flushing so quickly they had feared they would need a nurse. In her defense, Will would have nearly passed out too if someone attractive (_ Mike _) had said something like that to him. 

I mean, what else can you do when someone says “I’m writing a term paper on the _ finer _ things in life, and I was wondering if I could interview you”? 

It turned out that Clara sat behind Will in art. Needless to say, he felt horrible about not knowing who she was. He didn’t exactly pay attention to reality in art class. Art class was a reprieve from everyday life. It meant he could retreat into his dream world, which (you guessed it) was mostly filled with thoughts about Mike. 

He started inviting Clara to sit with him in class after that. The more they talked, the more he felt like an ass. Turned out, she had gone to middle school with them. _ Middle School _ ! When he voiced his feelings, she was quick to reassure him that she wasn’t offended. She subtly added that she had been a closeted lesbian at the time and _ really _ didn’t want to be noticed anyway. Will confessed how he’d known he was gay for a few years. 

Clara was incredibly supportive and didn’t pull the “I knew it” bullshit. _ He _ didn’t even know at first, how could anyone else have known? 

He loved his friends, but the only ones who hadn’t immediately said they ‘had known all along’ were Mike and El. 

Will liked having someone who understood. Especially now that Mike was being so weird.

There was no reason for Mike to ignore him, unless he had found out about Will’s feelings for him. Will hoped he hadn’t. Above all, Mike was his best friend and he didn’t know what he would do without his best friend. Will didn’t expect Mike to like him back. Mike being bi did not make him obligated to return Will’s feelings. Will dreamed his dreams quietly and tried not to let it show too much. So why was his best friend avoiding him?

-

Mike had no idea what to do. He’d had a crush on Will for a couple of years now. It was why he ended things with El. Mike couldn’t deny his feelings for him anymore. They had been building for a while, probably before El even stepped into their lives. 

There was something endearing about the way Will’s hair flopped over his forehead. Will always wore a flannel and paint -stained jeans, the bright colors diluted from the wash. He looked good in pastels, Mike decided. Will looked good in anything. He came to school wearing one of his brother’s old sweaters once. God he was adorable, the sleeves went well past his fingers. The rest of the sweater hung down to about mid-thigh. (It hadn’t helped that Johnathan had filled out at university.) Mike wanted to offer one of his own sweaters- he just knew Will would look perfect in it. 

Will was small, well at least compared to Mike who stood at a lanky 6’2” at age sixteen. Will still only measured at 5’5”, the perfect height for the forehead kisses Mike wished he could give him. Will was also the perfect size to curl up in Mike’s lap and tuck his face into his neck. He was just perfect. Mike knew Will didn’t think so, but he’d have to think it enough for the both of them instead. 

Mike had talked to El about Will exactly once, before she told him he needed to stop talking. She said it was sweet, but that his rambling could be overwhelming. He had ignored her advice at first, until Max recorded him one day. She made him listen to it with her. It lasted over ten minutes, after that he tried to tone it down. It was around then that he realized his “crush” was way more than he thought. He was so in love with Will it was driving him and everyone else insane. 

He started using Will as an armrest again in an effort to get closer to him. His friend always flushed so red when Mike got that close. Mike figured he was making Will uncomfortable, so he had stopped, which had led to his current situation: the accidental avoidance. He didn’t want to seem suspicious if he suddenly went back to touching Will like nothing was wrong. So he stayed away, but the problem with that was that it was pushing him away. Mike hoped distance would fix it, but that was not the case. If Mike didn’t fix this soon he would lose his best friend and the love of his young life. Pushing Will away was hurting them both. The only option he had was to talk to Will and hope that he would still wanted to be Mike’s friend - even if he probably did not want to be more.

Mike had his mind made up. He would explain his feelings to Will. The thought of losing him made Mike want to crawl under his blankets and never move. But, he knew he had to do this if he wanted even a chance at salvaging their friendship. If he was lucky, Will might even return his feelings. If he did, they would share a sweet kiss and ride off into the sunset... Who was he kidding? With his luck, Will would run for the hills as soon as Mike confessed. Then Will would avoid him forever. Their friendship would crash and burn. He’d find someone who wasn’t Mike, get married, have 2.5 kids and live a perfect life, Occasionally, over dinner, sharing the story of some weird boy he used to be friends with. 

He hadn’t realized he had said all of this out loud until Max pointedly cleared her throat.

  


“Go talk to him before you drive everyone crazy!” she huffed. She rolled her eyes so hard Mike was sure that it hurt.

Max was so done with Byeler™ pining. She almost wished she could shove them in a closet together until they figured things out. It wasn’t something she’d actually do, as Will was claustrophobic. She may have been fed up with them, but Will was their soft boy. They would never hurt him;he got enough of that from people who didn’t know him. Max would be damned if she allowed some public school yard apes to hurt him. She had gotten into fist-fights for that boy. The whole situation with Mike did make her worry a bit. She wanted them to be together and happy, but didn’t want them to have to face the judgement and homophobia. 

Times were progressive, sure, but there would always be people who didn’t understand. All of their friends would try to protect them from it. The protection plan couldn’t be put into action until they got together though. (**If** they got together, because _holy fuck_ were they oblivious!) 

-

Dustin was minding his own business when he came across Mike very poorly hiding. Upon closer inspection, he seemed to be giving Will sad heart eyes. Why didn’t he just go and talk to Will? It would be less suspicious than “hiding”. He looked like such a creep. Was he trying to look like a stalker? He should have gotten some pointers from Lucas if that was the case. 

Sometimes Dustin wished his friends weren’t so stupid when it came to love. Between Lucas and Max, El, and Mike and Will, he wasn’t sure who needed the most help. That was a lie; it was Mike and Will, hands down. Lucas and Max always managed to work things out, and El was just playing the field. (Though he suspected her and Will’s friend Clara had something going.)

Everyone’s love lives were fine, even his own, and wasn’t that a shock?

Most people would figure Dustin to be right up there with Byeler™, in terms of needing help. Normally they would have been right, but Dustin had found Suzie all on his own, at camp. (Okay, so she found him. Details.) His point was that he wasn’t the one who needed romantic assistance anymore. 

Dustin sighed heavily and made his way over to Mike.

“What are you doing?” Mike jumped, far higher than Dustin would have expected. 

“Are you trying to look like a stalker?” Dustin chuckled. 

Mike raised his hands and started stammering while he flailed. He got more worked up than Dustin had ever seen him. 

Once Mike had calmed down again, Dustin slung his arm over his shoulder and began his pep talk. He considered himself the king of advice, thanks to Steve. (even if everyone would beg to differ - Dustin’s advice often ended in a fight or breakup. He clearly shared Steve’s unwavering self-delusion and optimism.) Now, Dustin was going on about a serenade for Will, involving ducks? Which, what even?

-

Mike stopped listening part way through.. All he could think about was Will. (Yes he had been creeping, shut up!) He was trying to buy time while he thought about how to tell Will he loved him. ( He _ loved _ him, holy shit, did he love him.) What if Will thought Mike meant it platonically? He would be mortified if he had to explain that he wanted a romantic relationship with his best friend. He hoped Will would just get what he meant, like he always did. Mike was a naturally awkward human. Romance wasn’t exactly his forte. 

“Look, Dustin I love you man, but I _ really _need to go talk to Will.” He knew he sounded whiny, but Will was worth it. 

Dustin grinned. He was nodding so fast he’d give himself a headache. 

“Go! Go, get your boy!” Dustin yelled. He was always louder than he needed to be. Dustin shoved him towards Will, who was seated at their usual table. He looked absolutely adorable. The fluffy sweater he wore nearly swallowed him whole. 

Mike’s heart felt like it would burst from the amount of affection he carried for Will. He watched Will’s face light up when he spotted Mike, and wow, how hadn’t he noticed that before? Mike had a renewed sense of confidence. He could do this. If Will didn’t love him back, he would just have to deal with it. (Although, now that he paid proper attention to how Will reacted to him, he didn’t think he would have to worry.)

“Hey Will, can we talk?” 

Will looked horrified. 

“There’s something I think we need to deal with properly.” 

Will quickly covered up his horror with a blinding smile. 

It couldn’t fool Mike. He extended his hand to Will. 

Will flushed red enough to rival Max’s hair, but he took Mike’s hand, so that was a win in Mike’s book. Mike pulled him up and out of his seat, reveled in the gasp that came from Will, and started running. 

-

“Mike! Mike, slow down!” Will squealed. He was just barely keeping up, and moments away from losing his balance. Will wasn’t sure what Mike wanted to talk about, but he didn’t feel good about the outcome. He had a sinking feeling that it had to do with Mike finding out about his feelings for him.. 

Will was so caught up in his thoughts he hadn’t realized they’d stopped until he stumbled forward into Mike’s back. He sputtered as he tried to right himself. Will breathed deep, preparing for the possible downfall of his longest friendship. Once he felt confident that he could handle whatever it was his best friend wanted to talk about, he looked up. He was shocked to find himself staring directly into Mike’s eyes. God they were beautiful. Will coughed, becoming flustered, yet again, by his best friend. 

“So, what exactly did you want to talk about?” Will stuttered. He played with his fingers, all confidence lost. 

Mike hated when he did that; it meant he was nervous, it meant he was a little afraid. He never wanted to be the reason Will was afraid. Will being nervous made Mike nervous. He steeled his nerves, reached over, and took Will’s hand. He let out a puff of air and pulled him close so he could hold him. 

Will stiffened for a moment. Then, he let the tension go and curled as close as he could while standing. 

  


“Mike.” Will whispered. “You can tell me anything, you know that right?” 

Mike shuddered at the breathiness of Will’s voice. He nodded against the top of his head. This was it, he thought, the moment of truth. It all came down to this, him and Will. It was always him and Will. They were best friends before anything else, and now, Mike was going to offer Will more. He would offer Will the rest of his life if that was what he wanted. If Will wanted him to get out of his life, he would do that too. He loved Will more than he thought he could love anyone or anything. 

“You’re my best friend, you are such a good person, all the time. I don’t know how you do it. But, I do know that meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. You are my best friend, that’s all I intended for you to be, but no, you had to go and be so damn perfect.” Mike sighed. “You had to be so _ easy _ to love, and _ god _am I ever in love with you. Of all the places I expected to end up in my life, utterly and completely in love with William Byers was not one of them.” 

Will gasped wetly. “Mike.” Will whimpered, overcome by emotion. He sniffled loudly, feeling the heat radiating off his face.

“I don’t expect you to love me back just because you’re gay or because I love you,” Mike continued in a soft voice. “I just needed you to know how much you mean to me. I want to be able to hold you and kiss you, I want to be able to call you mine. But, more than anything, I want you to be happy.” 

Will was full-on sobbing at this point. He couldn’t believe Mike felt the same! He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he hugged Mike tighter. All he knew was that he needed to be as close to Mike as possible right now. He calmed himself, took deep breaths, and grabbed Mike’s face. Mike’s eyes were so wide and deep, Will could have fallen in and drowned. Will grinned. His heart hammering away in his chest. 

“I love you too, so much. I’ve been in love with you since we were twelve, or maybe even before then. But that doesn’t matter. I never, in a million years, would have dreamt that you would love me too,” Will rambled, Mike’s face still in his grasp. 

Mike smiled softly, cupped Will’s hands against his face, and pressed their foreheads together for a moment. It felt like years to Will. 

Mike tilted Will’s head up and pressed a petal-soft kiss to his mouth. It was only a brief touch of their lips, but to him? It was the best first kiss he could have asked for.


End file.
